Sightlines · reception

How Om Shanti Om was received

2007 · Farah Khan · Om Shanti Om on Sightlines

The arc

A Diwali 2007 monster hit that flattened Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya in one of Bollywood's most famous box-office clashes, it was initially filed under 'glossy masala fun' — and has since climbed to beloved-modern-classic status as THE Bollywood film about Bollywood, a gateway drug for international viewers discovering Hindi cinema.

What’s debated

The perennial fan debate: is it the smartest, most affectionate meta-commentary on the Hindi film industry ever made, or a wildly entertaining first half that collapses into an overlong in-joke — and was picking it over Saawariya the right call?

Its footprint

'Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost' ('the film isn't over yet, my friend') escaped the movie entirely and became an all-purpose Indian catchphrase and meme, while the 'Deewangi Deewangi' number — stuffed with a parade of real Bollywood stars playing themselves — remains the ultimate celebrity-cameo song.

Where it stands

A rewatchable crowd-pleaser that's quietly canonized as essential viewing — the 'if you only watch one masala entertainer, watch this' pick, and forever the answer to 'where do I start with Bollywood?'

Did you know? It was Deepika Padukone's Bollywood debut — Farah Khan cast the then-model opposite Shah Rukh Khan, the biggest star in India, in a dual role, and she walked out of it an instant A-lister.

Named by the director

• Karz (1980) — Farah Khan openly framed the film as a tribute to Subhash Ghai's reincarnation drama, borrowing its premise and taking the title from its famous 'Om Shanti Om' song.
• Manmohan Desai — Khan has repeatedly cited the 1970s masala maestro as her guiding influence, calling her brand of anything-for-the-audience entertainment an homage to his cinema.